MakeMeShiver (15 page)

Each scene was sectioned off so that every area was exclusive for the couple inhabiting the space. When they came to the far end of the room there was a man standing with his back to them. His long, shoulder-length auburn hair was beautiful against his black dress shirt, his shoulders sinewy but defined.

“Trevor,” Michael said and the man turned.

Whereas Brian was in his late twenties or early thirties and was stout and sturdy, Trevor was tall, lean and nearing his forties. He had a thin beard, neatly trimmed, and his irises were a beautiful aquatic shade of blue. Those eyes seemed tumultuous until they landed on Michael and the lines around the edges smoothed, making the man appear several years younger. After a moment Trevor gazed at her, and his smile was equally as mesmerizing as his counterpart’s.

“It’s wonderful to see you here. Welcome to my home.” He reached for Lacey’s hand and brought it to his mouth. His lips were warm and gentle against her knuckles, his touch deliberate.

“You’re as bad as Brian,” Michael grumbled.

“We both admire and appreciate the same things.” Trevor released her hand and stepped back. The fatigue returned his face, aging him once more. “I was hoping you’d come. We need to talk.” He motioned to a plush leather couch against the wall, away from the scenes taking place.

Michael led her over and removed her coat. She waited, uncertain if he’d instruct her to sit at his feet as he shrugged out of his jacket. She barely contained a yelp when he pivoted around, swung her into his arms and sat on the couch with her in his lap. Trevor took a seat at the opposite end, leaving plenty of room, and reclined with one arm draped across the back.

Lacey melted at the brush of Michael’s mouth against her ear just before he whispered in a low, alluring timbre, “While we talk, I want you to watch. I want you to learn what excites you and store it away for later. I’m going to give you a quiz and the lecture starts now. What do you say?”

“Yes Sir.” Her body buzzed at the implication hidden within the words, the promise of something more to come. She gazed around the room as he ordered, trying to ignore the increasing dampness and pulsating thrum between her legs. It was a smorgasbord of sexual enticement, so much more than she’d ever seen through a grainy video online.

While she tried to tune out the conversation taking place between Michael and Trevor, it was impossible not to catch pieces here and there. Aly had apparently refused to cooperate. She and Trevor met to discuss a potential test arrangement. After a casual encounter at an agreed-upon coffeehouse, he’d given her some kind of questionnaire to gauge her needs and share his own. A few seconds of glancing over the questions was all she’d needed. She’d handed the folder back to Trevor, told him she wasn’t interested and refused to talk to him when he asked for a reason.

“You knew that was a possibility,” Michael said.

“I did,” Trevor agreed. “Unfortunately I didn’t know she’d feel so threatened by my proposal that she’d accept a public playdate with another Dom to solidify her decision.”

Lacey’s eyes drifted to a sub who was bound by what appeared to be pink plastic wrap as they continued speaking. Her arms were captured behind her back, forcing her full breasts forward. The nipples were pierced and a thin silver chain ran between the hoops adorning the pointed buds. Her Master was tracing a feather over her skin, causing her to writhe and squirm as a machine with an enormous plastic dildo fucked her from underneath.

She felt her cheeks grow hot. As sexy as it was, she could never do something like that in front of people. It was too intimate, too embarrassing. Watching it, however, made her excited in a way she’d never been before.

“Really?” Michael asked. “Who?”

“Conner.” The menace in Trevor’s voice ripped her eyes from the sex all around them. When in control, Trevor appeared refined and decisive. When angry, he was absolutely frightening. His upper lip was pulled into a sneer and his brows were furrowed.

Michael tensed beneath her, the hand that had been creating soothing circles along her thigh going still. “Aly isn’t a pain slut. She wouldn’t agree to sub for Conner.”

“I got a call an hour ago that says otherwise. She entered the club with him and he took her to a private room. I told Anthony to contact me when they leave to make sure she made it out all right.”

“What the fuck is she thinking?” Michael snapped, fury radiating from him. “Conner is a sadist. She knows that.”

The anger in Trevor’s expression receded, becoming a reluctant acceptance. “I don’t know. I just felt I should tell you. Everyone is aware that you tried to do right by her, so you don’t have to worry about that. It’s just…” Trevor seemed to stare into a place far away, one they couldn’t see. “I just wanted to tell you myself, before you heard it from someone else.”

The air felt as though it thickened. The tension between the two men remained invisible but ever present. Lacey rested her fingers over Michael’s and reclined against his chest, trying to extend comfort in the only manner she could. He flipped his hand over, grasped hers and placed their entwined fingers on her stomach. In that moment there was no sex taking place all around them. There were no Dominants, submissives or conflicts to resolve. There was only her and Michael, cuddling each other like any normal couple.

In that moment, she accepted what her mind refused to believe. The feeling that was overwhelming her was unfamiliar and new but she recognized it. Deep down, in the instinctive way all men and women grasped the emotion, she realized this was it. It was too soon to love Michael but the time frame no longer mattered.

Because she’d already fallen.

“When I’ve finished talking with Trevor we’ll do a walk around the room,” Michael whispered in a manner that indicated the words were intended for her alone. “Would you enjoy that?”

She blushed at the question, envisioning Michael doing just that.

“Answer me.”

“Yes Sir.”

“I love that color on you.” He brought his free hand up and caressed her cheek.

A commotion from the back of the room gained Michael’s and Trevor’s attention. Brian rushed past the scenes taking place as he made his way to them. He stopped in front of Trevor and dropped to his knees, staring the other man in the eye.

“Anthony called. You need to get to Fantasia—
now
.”

“What happened?”

The men stood at the same time, revealing Trevor was a couple inches taller.

“It’s Aly.”

“What about Aly?” Michael released Lacey’s hand and leaned forward.

Brian glanced at Michael and quickly turned back to Trevor. “Conner used the cane. She didn’t safe word.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Michael stood, lifting her easily and placed her on her feet. “What the hell is wrong with her?”

“We need to go.” Brian ignored Michael’s outburst, his gaze pinned on Trevor. “When the scene was over Aly went into the bathroom, locked the door and refused to let anyone inside.”

“She won’t talk to me.” Trevor’s livid gaze fixed on Michael, his implication clear.

“I can’t be sure she’d talk to me either.” Michael rubbed the back of his neck. “The last time we spoke we weren’t on the best of terms.”

A shrill ring came from Brian’s pocket and he quickly removed a phone from his black leather pants. Opening it swiftly, he brought it to his ear. “What news do you have?” He closed his eyes and it was easy to sense his rage. After taking a long, deep breath he said, “We’ll be there as soon as we can.”

He closed the phone, placed it in his pants and sent a nervous glance to Trevor. “Shiloh managed to get into the bathroom. It’s not good.”

“Clear out the house. The party’s over,” Trevor snarled and strode past them without looking back.

Chapter Eleven

“So you’ll have the final proofs to us by the end of the week? We can’t afford another delay. I’m already feeling the heat and I can’t hold off the publisher much longer.”

Lacey’s agent’s hidden warning set her teeth on edge. She was well aware that she was a week past deadline. The last twenty-four hours had made it virtually impossible to achieve anything that required something as draining as creativity.

“I’ll have it in the mail no later than Friday.”

“Is everything all right? You seem…”

Angry, frustrated, lonely, confused?
“I’m fine. I’ve just had a lot going on.”

“Listen, about Scott… He’s not worth it.”

Lacey would have laughed at the irony of crying over Scott if she wasn’t so miserable over someone else. “Scott isn’t an issue. It’s over and done.”

“Okay, well, call me if you need anything. I’ll be in the office most of the week.”

“Will do. Take care.”

Lacey ended the call without waiting for a response and felt even worse at her short and callous treatment of someone who’d gotten her into the business. Helen didn’t deserve it. It was just too damn hard to pretend that everything was fine when Michael had dropped her off at her home and had called only once to say he was sorry and that he’d make it up to her. She’d waited half the morning for another call, a visit—
something
. Instead she found herself coming in second place.

Again.

That persistent ache in her chest returned when she realized that a relationship with Michael—no matter how much she wanted it, no matter how much she wanted
him
—might not be possible. For all his talk, he had thus far proven himself to be a bag of hot air and empty promises. It hurt, being cast aside for a woman he claimed he didn’t want. Even though Trevor and Brian had asked him to come, she felt betrayed, set aside.

Forgotten.

A knock at the door had her leaping from her couch. Only one person would be knocking on her door on a Saturday. She tried to count to ten, determined to keep her temper in check. Before she jumped to conclusions she was determined to listen to whatever excuse Michael planned to give her. Every suspect had the right to defend themselves before the fires of hell came rushing to greet them. She grasped the knob, opened the door and unexpectedly came face-to-face with a very unkempt Candice.

“Candice? What in the—”

Candice didn’t give her the opportunity to finish, forcing Lacey aside and quickly stepping into the house. She shrugged off the large bags across each shoulder and tossed them onto the kitchen table before she hooked a left and started for the kitchen. Lacey closed the door and followed, watching in disbelief as her best friend made a beeline for the liquor cabinet.

“Candy!” Rushing into the kitchen, she stopped the door from opening fully, preventing her friend from gaining access to whiskey, rum or vodka. “What is going on?”

“Not now.”

“Yes.” Lacey pressed the palm of her hand against the cabinet, putting her weight into her shoulder. “Right now.”

“
Shit
.”

Candice spun around and left the kitchen as quickly as she’d entered it. She retrieved one of her bags and headed for the bathroom. Before she could get inside the hallway, Lacey jumped ahead of her and blocked her path.

“What’s wrong?”

Candice stared at her chest, refusing to make eye contact. “I just need a few minutes to pull myself together. I’m going to start with a shower.”

“You’re not doing anything until you tell me what the hell is going on.” Studying Candice’s bowed head, she added, “For the record, you’re really freaking me out.”

“Please.”

Candice’s broken plea was one that turned Lacey’s blood to ice, sending cold chills down her spine. She remembered hearing that same tone on a brisk autumn night and had sworn it was something she never wanted to hear again. She stepped aside without another word and watched Candice walk into the bathroom down the hall and close the door. Within seconds, the sounds of the shower shrilled through the house.

The phone rang and yanked her back to the present. She shook off the unwanted memories, walked to the coffee table and retrieved the phone. She recognized the number and almost let the call go to her answering machine. For hours, she’d waited. Now, when the shit was staining her walls, Michael had decided it was time to give her a call.

“Yes?” she answered in the same manner she felt, exasperated and off kilter.

“Lacey? Is that you?” Michael sounded like he’d been put through the wringer.

“Why don’t you answer that question? You dialed the number.” He didn’t reply, and she wasn’t sure if she wanted to knee him in the balls or kick herself in the ass. “Yes.” She confirmed her identity despite her short fuse. “It’s Lacey.”

“What’s wrong?” Concern overcame the fatigue in his voice. “Has something happened?”

“You could say that.” After glancing down the hall, she walked into the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee.

“Are you going to tell me what?”

She could just picture the annoyed expression on his face. “It’s not looking good for you at the moment.”

“You’re angry.”

“How’d you guess?”

“You told me it was okay to go.”

“I would have seemed like a raging bitch if I said anything else. Besides, I didn’t think it would be so long until I heard from you.”